CQ 160-Meter Contest, CW
Call: K0DXC
Operator(s): K0DXC
Station: K0DXC
Class: Single Op Assisted LP
QTH: Jackson, OH
Operating Time (hrs): ~15
Summary:
Total: QSOs = 744 State/Prov = 55 Countries = 11 Total Score = 111,540
Club: North Coast Contesters
Comments:
Rig - IC-756PROIII
Antenna - Alpha Delta DX-B Sloper @ 35 ft and a SBOG (Short Beverage On Ground)
RX antenna
..... I don't know what to say.....
The CQ WW 160 CW 2009 was very interesting. Propagation was INCREDIBLE.
I started out the contest trying to run (I had a little success) and I actually
had a 120 hour for the first hour of the contest. This is the best rate I've
ever had - IN a contest. I can beat that easily in Morse Runner but that
doesn't count.
After the first hour, someone took my frequency; literally....And yes, they
were 20 over 9 so I'm guessing they could hear me and they knew I was there. It
wasn't worth fighting him for it so I just left.
I started searching and pouncing. I heard a TON of European stations! Most of
them were S5 to S9+10 but I could not work a single one! My antenna (DX-B) has
very high angle radiation. It gives me a decent signal in some parts of the
U.S. but I've never expected to work much DX with it. This summer I'll have to
think about maybe putting up an Inverted L. (Or something that works for DX.)
Then I went back to my previous run frequency and started calling CQ. The first
station I worked was the one who had kicked me off before. Funny.
Anyways, around 10:00 PM local time I worked my first DX - VP9/N1SNB. It took a
couple of calls but I eventually logged him. He had a good 599 RST into Southern
Ohio.
I had very little success running stations or holding a frequency. Whenever I
tried to run, a EU station would fire up the CQ machine right on top of me.
Even though he was weak I would still loose my frequency when his pileup came
along. It should also be illegal for DX to operate split in a contest. My
preferred run frequencies are towards the bottom of the band, but a certain
station hanging out around 1800.5 - 1801.5 kept signing "UP 1!". Of course, the
rest of the world just starts calling (without listening) "up 1".
There was a lot of talk about removing the DX window before the contest. From
what I read, people had mixed feelings. Looking back now that the contest is
over, I think that a good decision was made. The DX spread out making it easier
for people to pick them out of the noise and get them in the log. Even though
the window was "gone" I still didn't call any U.S. stations inside of it.
Even though I only worked 11 countries, I heard MANY more.
After the first night I had about 420 QSO's, 3 DX, and 45 States/Provinces. My
total score was about 48,000. I thought that it wasn't bad and I was hoping to
win low power Ohio.
Just for fun I was to getscores.org to see how WB8JUI was doing...... My hopes
for winning instantly vanished. I had more QSOs, but he had 90 mults for a
score of over 120,000! Amazing! Apparently he was working all the DX that
couldn't hear me!
The second night I got on around 4:30 local hoping to establish a run. Well,
that didn't happen. I couldn't run, then my mom came upstairs and asked me to
come down for dinner. I did. After dinner I was still discouraged so I watched
TV for another half an hour. Then I got back on the radio.
I still couldn't run so I went search and pounce. Suddenly I noticed that
Win-Test was not putting calls that I worked into the band map. I purchased
Win-Test this Monday so I haven't had time to set it up or get to know it.
Once again I got frustrated and I took another break, this time to get my
logging program working correctly. While configuring the bandmap, I decided to
also try to configure the wtDx Telnet. This took another half an hour but then
I actually got packet running from my station! I knew I wasn't going to stand a
chance at winning so I decided to go assisted for the remaining 5 hours of my
operating in the contest.
Assisted was actually kind of fun. It saved a lot of time not having to tune
through the U.S. QRM to try to find DX. While I was assisted, I was able to
work 6 more countries!
This included working Hawaii, now I have an unconfirmed (hopefully LoTW will
soon change that!) W.A.S. on 160 meters! I worked Alaska in the contest too! (I
almost fell out of the chair when I worked both of them, HI!)
Then I looked at the clock, it was 6:30 AM local time. I was not tired at all
but decided to go to bed to prevent being put in the dog house. I think my mom
would have blown a few fuses if she knew I had stayed up all night on the
RADIO! Hi! While I try to keep all my radiosport efforts "low key" my parents
aren't to fond of these contests.
Anyways, I was woken up around 10:00 (I had a good 3 and a half hours sleep) by
my brother blaring music in the room right next to mine.
Well, I got up and let the dog outside. Then I discovered a box of donuts
sitting on the kitchen counter! Delicious!
After that I called my grandpa, K9MMS to see how he had fared through the
night. We had a few QSOs during the evening but I wasn't sure how things went
after that. He told me that he was going to go get back on the air for about an
hour and a half until the contest ended, I decided to do that too.
I wasn't assisted for the last hour and a half of the contest. We currently
have a situation with our internet so that we have to have a "Sprint Mobile
Broadband" card plugged into the computer to connect. The card was in use
downstairs so I had to make due without packet. (I don't think I missed
anything anyways! Hi!)
I tuned the band a few times and all I heard were stations that I had already
worked. I called CQ in the middle of the band and only worked about 10
stations. Then I decided that be would be all for me in the CQ WW 160 CW this
year, I had fun (most of the time) and I am looking forward to it next year! I
worked a lot of familiar calls - it was nice hearing everyone.
Highlights -
- I struggle working seven stations, my antenna doesn't give me a good signal
in that part of the country. A few times when I would call someone in seven
land he would only catch the last or first part of my call.
"K0? 5NN UT"
"DE K0DXC K0DXC TU 5NN OH ---OH+++"
"RR K0DXC TU KID TNX QSO 73 QRZ AB7CDE"
- I had my first "120/hour" (IN CONTEST)
- I worked MANY familiar calls
Negatives -
- I couldn't work any DX. From reading people's comments on the contest this
was the best 160 propagation we've had in a while. I missed out.
- I had a very hard time running.
Thanks to everyone for the QSOs! I hope to work all of you again in the CQ WW
160 SSB! (parents permitting!) :-)
VY 73,
Cal, K0DXC
Posted using 3830 Score Submittal Forms at: http://www.hornucopia.com/3830score/
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